The Pilot (10 page)

"It seems that when the Howards lived on this island, a hundred years
ago, they dwelt in the county of Northumberland. Hither, then, he
brought us, when political events, and his dread of becoming the uncle
to a rebel, induced him to abandon America, as he says, forever. We have
been here now three months, and for two-thirds of that time we lived in
tolerable comfort; but latterly, the papers have announced the arrival
of the ship and your schooner in France; and from that moment as strict
a watch has been kept over us as if we had meditated a renewal of the
Carolina flight. The colonel, on his arrival here, hired an old
building, that is, part house, part abbey, part castle, and all prison;
because it is said to have once belonged to an ancestor of his. In this
delightful dwelling there are many cages that will secure more uneasy
birds than we are. About a fortnight ago an alarm was given in a
neighboring village which is situated on the shore, that two American
vessels, answering your description, had been seen hovering along the
coast; and, as people in this quarter dream of nothing but that terrible
fellow, Paul Jones, it was said that he was on board one of them. But I
believe that Colonel Howard suspects who you really are. He was very
minute in his inquiries, I hear; and since then has established a sort
of garrison in the house, under the pretence of defending it against
marauders, like those who are said to have laid my Lady Selkirk under
contribution.

"Now, understand me, Barnstable; on no account would I have you risk
yourself on shore; neither must there be blood spilt, if you love me;
but that you may know what sort of a place we are confined in, and by
whom surrounded, I will describe both our prison and the garrison. The
whole building is of stone, and not to be attempted with slight means.
It has windings and turnings, both internally and externally, that would
require more skill than I possess to make intelligible; but the rooms we
inhabit are in the upper or third floor of a wing, that you may call a
tower, if you are in a romantic mood, but which, in truth, is nothing
but a wing. Would to God I could fly with it! If any accident should
bring you in sight of the dwelling, you will know our rooms by the three
smoky vanes that whiffle about its pointed roof, and also, by the
windows in that story being occasionally open. Opposite to our windows,
at the distance of half a mile, is a retired unfrequented ruin,
concealed, in a great measure, from observation by a wood, and affording
none of the best accommodations, it is true, but shelter in some of its
vaults or apartments. I have prepared, according to the explanations you
once gave me on this subject, a set of small signals, of differently
colored silks, and a little dictionary of all the phrases that I could
imagine as useful to refer to, properly numbered to correspond with the
key and the flags, all of which I shall send you with this letter. You
must prepare your own flags, and of course I retain mine, as well as a
copy of the key and book. If opportunity should ever offer, we can have,
at least, a pleasant discourse together; you from the top of the old
tower in the ruins, and I from the east window of my dressing-room! But
now for the garrison. In addition to the commandant, Colonel Howard, who
retains all the fierceness of his former military profession, there is,
as his second in authority, that bane of Cecilia's happiness, Kit
Dillon, with his long Savannah face, scornful eyes of black, and skin of
the same color. This gentleman, you know, is a distant relative of the
Howards, and wishes to be more nearly allied. He is poor, it is true,
but then, as the colonel daily remarks, he is a good and loyal subject,
and no rebel. When I asked why he was not in arms in these stirring
times, contending for the prince he loves so much, the colonel answers
that it is not his profession, that he has been educated for the law,
and was destined to fill one of the highest judicial stations in the
colonies, and that he hoped he should yet live to see him sentence
certain nameless gentlemen to condign punishment. This was consoling, to
be sure; but I bore it. However, he left Carolina with us, and here he
is, and here he is likely to continue, unless you can catch him, and
anticipate his judgment on himself. The colonel has long desired to see
this gentleman the husband of Cecilia, and since the news of your being
on the coast, the siege has nearly amounted to a storm. The consequences
are, that my cousin at first kept her room, and then the colonel kept
her there, and even now she is precluded from leaving the wing we
inhabit. In addition to these two principal jailers, we have four men-
servants, two black and two white; and an officer and twenty soldiers
from the neighboring town are billeted on us, by particular desire,
until the coast is declared free from pirates! yes, that is the musical
name they give you—and when their own people land, and plunder, and
rob, and murder the men and insult the women, they are called heroes!
It's a fine thing to be able to invent names and make dictionaries—and
it must be your fault, if mine has been framed for no purpose. I
declare, when I recollect all the insulting and cruel things I hear in
this country of my own and her people, it makes me lose my temper and
forget my sex; but do not let my ill humor urge you to anything rash;
remember your life, remember their prisons, remember your reputation,
but do not, do not forget your

"KATHERINE PLOWDEN.

"P.S. I had almost forgotten to tell you, that in the signal-book you
will find a more particular description of our prison, where it stands,
and a drawing of the grounds, etc."

When Griffith concluded this epistle, he returned it to the man to whom
it was addressed, and fell back in his chair, in an attitude that
denoted deep reflection.

"I knew she was here, or I should have accepted the command offered to
me by our commissioners in Paris," he at length uttered; "and I thought
that some lucky chance might throw her in my way; but this is bringing
us close, indeed! This intelligence must be acted on, and that promptly.
Poor girl, what does she not suffer in such a situation!"

"What a beautiful hand she writes!" exclaimed Barnstable; "'tis as
clear, and as pretty, and as small, as her own delicate fingers. Griff,
what a log-book she would keep!"

"Cecilia Howard touch the coarse leaves of a log-book!" cried the other
in amazement; but perceiving Barnstable to be poring over the contents
of his mistress' letter, he smiled at their mutual folly, and continued
silent. After a short time spent in cool reflection, Griffith inquired
of his friend the nature and circumstances of his interview with
Katherine Plowden. Barnstable related it, briefly, as it occurred, in
the manner already known to the reader.

"Then," said Griffith, "Merry is the only one, besides ourselves, who
knows of this meeting, and he will be too chary of the reputation of his
kinswoman to mention it."

"Her reputation needs no shield, Mr. Griffith," cried her lover; "'tis
as spotless as the canvas above your head, and—"

"Peace, dear Richard; I entreat your pardon; my words may have conveyed
more than I intended; but it is important that our measures should be
secret, as well as prudently concerted."

"We must get them both off," returned Barnstable, forgetting his
displeasure the moment it was exhibited, "and that, too, before the old
man takes it into his wise head to leave the coast. Did you ever get a
sight of his instructions, or does he keep silent?"

"As the grave. This is the first time we have left port, that he has not
conversed freely with me on the nature of the cruise; but not a syllable
has been exchanged between us on the subject, since we sailed from
Brest."

"Ah! that is your Jersey bashfulness," said Barnstable; "wait till I
come alongside him, with my eastern curiosity, and I pledge myself to
get it out of him in an hour."

"'Twill be diamond cut diamond, I doubt," said Griffith, laughing; "you
will find him as acute at evasion, as you can possibly be at a cross-
examination."

"At any rate, he gives me a chance to-day; you know, I suppose, that he
sent for me to attend a consultation of his officers on important
matters."

"I did not," returned Griffith, fixing his eyes intently on the speaker;
"what has he to offer?"

"Nay, that you must ask your pilot; for while talking to me, the old man
would turn and look at the stranger, every minute, as if watching for
signals how to steer."

"There is a mystery about that man, and our connection with him, that I
cannot fathom," said Griffith. "But I hear the voice of Manual calling
for me; we are wanted in the cabin. Remember, you do not leave the ship
without seeing me again."

"No, no, my dear fellow; from the public we must retire to another
private consultation."

The young men arose, and Griffith, throwing off the roundabout in which
he had appeared on deck, drew on a coat of more formal appearance, and
taking a sword carelessly in his hand, they proceeded together along the
passage already described, to the gun-deck, where they entered, with the
proper ceremonials, into the principal cabin of the frigate.

"Sempronius, speak."
Cato.

The arrangements for the consultation were brief and simple. The
veteran commander of the frigate received his officers with punctilious
respect; and pointing to the chairs that were placed around the table,
which was a fixture in the centre of his cabin, he silently seated
himself, and his example was followed by all without further ceremony.
In taking their stations, however, a quiet but rigid observance was paid
to the rights of seniority and rank. On the right of the captain was
placed Griffith, as next in authority; and opposite to him was seated
the commander of the schooner. The officer of marines, who was included
in the number, held the next situation in point of precedence, the same
order being observed to the bottom of the table, which was occupied by a
hard-featured, square-built, athletic man, who held the office of
sailing-master. When order was restored, after the short interruption of
taking their places, the officer who had required the advice of his
inferiors opened the business on which he demanded their opinions.

"My instructions direct me, gentlemen," he said, "after making the coast
of England, to run the land down—"

The hand of Griffith was elevated respectfully for silence, and the
veteran paused, with a look that inquired the reason of his
interruption.

"We are not alone," said the lieutenant, glancing his eye toward the
part of the cabin where the pilot stood, leaning on one of the guns, in
an attitude of easy indulgence.

The stranger moved not at this direct hint; neither did his eye change
from its close survey of a chart that lay near him on the deck. The
captain dropped his voice to tones of cautious respect, as he replied:

"'Tis only Mr. Gray. His services will be necessary on the occasion, and
therefore nothing need be concealed from him."

Glances of surprise were exchanged among the young men; but Griffith
bowing his silent acquiescence in the decision of his superior, the
latter proceeded:

"I was ordered to watch for certain signals from the headlands that we
made, and was furnished with the best of charts, and such directions as
enabled us to stand into the bay we entered last night. We have now
obtained a pilot, and one who has proved himself a skilful man; such a
one, gentlemen, as no officer need hesitate to rely on, in any
emergency, either on account of his integrity or his knowledge."

The veteran paused, and turned his looks on the countenances of the
listeners, as if to collect their sentiments on this important point.
Receiving no other reply than the one conveyed by the silent
inclinations of the heads of his hearers, the commander resumed his
explanations, referring to an open paper in his hand:

"It is known to you all, gentlemen, that the unfortunate question of
retaliation has been much agitated between the two governments, our own
and that of the enemy. For this reason, and for certain political
purposes, it has become an object of solicitude with our commissioners
in Paris to obtain a few individuals of character from the enemy, who
may be held as a check on their proceedings, while at the same time it
brings the evils of war, from our own shores, home to those who have
caused it. An opportunity now offers to put this plan in execution, and
I have collected you, in order to consult on the means."

A profound silence succeeded this unexpected communication of the object
of their cruise. After a short pause, their captain added, addressing
himself to the sailing-master:

"What course would you advise me to pursue, Mr. Boltrope?"

The weather beaten seaman who was thus called on to break through the
difficulties of a knotty point with his opinion, laid one of his short,
bony hands on the table, and began to twirl an inkstand with great
industry, while with the other he conveyed a pen to his mouth, which was
apparently masticated with all the relish that he could possibly have
felt had it been a leaf from the famous Virginian weed. But perceiving
that he was expected to answer, after looking first to his right hand
and then to his left, he spoke as follows, in a hoarse, thick voice, in
which the fogs of the ocean seemed to have united with sea-damps and
colds to destroy everything like melody:

"If this matter is ordered, it is to be done, I suppose," he said; "for
the old rule runs, 'obey orders, if you break owners'; though the maxim
which says, 'one hand for the owner, and t'other for yourself,' is quite
as good, and has saved many a hearty fellow from a fall that would have
balanced the purser's books. Not that I mean a purser's books are not as
good as any other man's; but that when a man is dead, his account must
be closed, or there will be a false muster. Well, if the thing is to be
done, the next question is, how is it to be done? There is many a man
that knows there is too much canvas on a ship, who can't tell how to
shorten sail. Well, then, if the thing is really to be done, we must
either land a gang to seize them, or we must show false lights and sham
colors, to lead them off to the ship. As for landing, Captain Munson, I
can only speak for one man, and that is myself; which is to say, that if
you run the ship with her jib-boom into the king of England's parlor-
windows, why, I'm consenting, nor do I care how much of his crockery is
cracked in so doing; but as to putting the print of my foot on one of
his sandy beaches, if I do, that is always speaking for only one man,
and saving your presence, may I hope to be d—d."